Threshing-machine.



PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

H. RETTKE. THRESHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

Fig.1.

(EWHQJW I ME awoemtoz NO- 92,847. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. W. H. RETTKE.

THRESHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ma /5 /4 5a /5 wi/lmwwo NTTED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

THRESHlNG-IVIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 792,847, dated June 20, 1905.

Application fil d April 15, 1904. Serial No. 203,293.

To all whom it puny concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIM H. RETTKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara, in the county of Grand Forks and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Threshing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to threshing-machines, and has for its object to provide a machine of this nature in which the straw after the kernels have been loosened therefrom will be thoroughly agitated to separate the loose kernels from the straw, a further object being to provide a peculiar construction of separator which will be simple of construction and cheap of manufacture and in which the broken or damaged parts may be readily removed and replaced.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the working parts. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the machine. Fig. 4 is a'section of one of the rollers. Fig. 5 is a view of a modified form of roller. Fig. 6 is a view of another form of roller. Fig. 7 is a view of a fourth form of roller.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a threshing-machine including a body portion 7, having the usual cylinder 8 revolubly mounted therein and the concave 9 disposed in the usual position. In the present invention the concave 9 is not provided with the usual holes through which the loose grains pass, the loose grains and straw being ejected together from the discharge end of the concave. Below the concave there is disposed a carrier 1.0, which receives any loose grains and straw which fall directly from the end of the concave and deposits them upon an elevatingcarrier 11, the bulk of straw and grain, however, being thrown by the cylinder directly upon the carrier 11, by which it is conveyed to the separating mechanism 12, to be presently described.

The carrier 11 has achain 13 at either side thereof, these chains running on sprocketwheels14t, mounted on shafts 15 and 16, which are revoluloly disposed transversely of the body portion. The chains 13 each include a plurality of links 17, which are pivoted together at their ends and which have plates 18 extending inwardly therefrom. Ribs 19 extend centrally of the plates 18, and to these ribs are riveted the flights 20 of the carrier. A canvas apron 21 is riveted to the bottoms of the flights and at its edges to the plates 18 and prevents the grain and straw from falling through between the flights.

- The separating mechanism, mentioned above, consists of a plurality of rollers revolubly mounted transversely of the body portion and extending in a line from a point below the upper end of the carrier 11. The roller 22, which lies directly below the upper end of this carrier and in position to receive the straw and grain discharged therefrom, has a plurality of polygonal plates 23 disposed concentrically thereupon and spaced from each other. In the drawings the plates 23 are illustrated as having twelve sides. The roller 24., which is disposed forwardly of the roller 22, is provided with a plurality of polygonal plates 25, which are disposed similarly to the plates 23 and which lie with their edges in the spaces between these plates. The plates are somewhat smaller than the plates 23 and are illustrated in the drawings as hexagons. It will be understood, however, that the shape of the plates as shown in the drawings may be modified though the general relative shapes should be maintained.

Mounted forwardly of the roller 24 are a plurality of rollers 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31, each having polygonal plates 32, which are disposed upon the rollers similarly to the plates 23 and 25 and which are disposed to lie with their edges between the plates of the adjacent rollers. The plates of the rollers 26, 27, and 28 increase gradually in size, so that, although these rollers are geared to run at the same rate of speed as the rollers 22 and 2 the outer edges of their plates run at an increased rate of speed, the plates 25 moving slowest and the plates of the roller 28 moving fastest.

The roller 29 is geared to run somewhat faster than the roller 28, and the rollers 30 and 31 are geared to run faster than the roller 29, the rate of the roller 31 exceeding that of the roller 30. As shown in the drawings, the plates 32 of the rollers 29, 30, and 31 are of the same size as those of the roller 28; but from the above-described arrangement it will be seen that there is an increase of speed throughout the entire line of rollers, beginning with the roller 24 and ending with the roller 31, so that straw and grain which fall upon these rollers are transferred from one to the other and in this transference are given a rending or tearing which separates the straw and permits the grain to fall therefrom between the plates of the rollers to a chute 33, down which it passes to a screen 34, which is disposed in the blast from a fan 35. By reason of the fact that the plates 23 of the roller 22 are considerably larger than those of the roller 24 the straw when it is received from the carrier 11 is thrown with considerable force upon the plates 25, which tends to initially loosen the grain and to make easy the separating process as performed by the remaining plates.

The rollers above described are of a peculiar construction, which is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. Each of these rollers comprises a plurality of hollow cylindrical members 36, having flanges 37 at their ends, and between these members are disposed the polygonal plates mentioned above, which are secured in place by means of rivets 38, passed through the flanges 37 at both sides of the plates and through the plates themselves. One of the cylindrical members 36, which is at one end of the roller, is somewhat shorter than the other members, this member being indicated at 36, and when the rollers are placed in position the alternating rollers are disposed with these members 36 at opposite sides of the body portion 7, so as to bring the polygonal plates, with the rollers, into position to lie between the plates of the adjacent rollers. Secured to the outer faces of the members 36 at the ends of the rollers are plates 39, which are somewhat smaller than the polygonal plates. These plates 39 have threaded perforations 40 therethrough, which receive the threaded portion 41 of an axle 42, the outer ends 43 of which are journaled in bearings 44, as shown.

At theends of the rollers aredisposed guardplates 45, which prevent grain and straw from falling from the separator.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings there is shown another form of roller, which consists of a polygonal member 46, having trunnions 47 at its ends, and which has spaced flanges 48 projeeting therefrom. Each of these flanges consists of a metallic plate having an opening therethrough for the reception of the member 46, the plates being secured in position by means of angle-brackets 49. The member 46 consists of a plurality of plates 50, each of which has a flange 51 at one edge, and these plates are secured one to the flange of another to complete the member 46, the plates being secured at their ends to end pieces 52, to which the trunnions 47 are secured.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a form of roller in which the member 46 is formed from a solid piece of wood or other suitable material, and the flanges 48, which consist of metallic plates, have an opening therethrough with which the member 46 is engaged, the metal at the sides of the opening being turned at right angles to form laterally-extending flanges 53, by which the plate is attached to the member 46. In Fig. 7 there is shown asimilar form of roller in which the member46 is cylindrical and the flanges 48 are provided with circular openings 54, with which the member 46 is engaged, and in this form each plate is secured in position by means of a plurality of angular brackets 55.

In practice modifications of the specific construction shown may be made, and any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

\Vhat is claimed is- 1. In athreshing-machine comprising a casing, grain loosening mechanism disposed within the casing, a carrier arranged to receive grain and straw from the loosening mechanism, and a separator arranged to receive loosened grain and straw from the carrier, said separator com prisinga plurality of spaced rollers, a plurality of spaced plates removabl y secured to each roller, the plates of the several rollers being arranged for rotation of their peripheries at different rates of speed, and guards disposed at the ends of the rollers.

2. In a th reshing-machine, the combination with grain-loosening mechanism, of a separator arranged to receive straw and loosened grain, said separator comprising a series of rollers arranged in a common plane, each of said rollers having a plurality of polygonal plates mounted concentrically thereon and spaced from each other, the plates of the rollers lying with their edges between those of the adjacent rollers and spaced therefrom to permit of the passage of grain therebetween, the plates of the first roller of the series being somewhat larger and having a greater number of angles than those of the remaining rollers, the plates of the second roller and of a number of the rollers therebeyond in sequence being increased gradually in size, said rollers and the first roller being geared for movernent at the same rate, the plates of the remaining rollers being of the same size, each of said remaining rollers being geared to run at a higher rate of speed than the preceding roller, and means for revolving the several rollers in the same direction.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WVILLIM H. RETTKE.

WVitnesses:

CARL REDIsKE, AUGUST RETTKE. 

